Bits and pieces.

The annual hedge cutting began this morning. I use the same Landscape garden company every year, and they certainly work hard and clear up all the debris very thoroughly.

I left it a bit later this year as so many of the birds seem to have been nesting in the hedges.

Today's harvest!

One ridge Cucumber.

More will follow. Even from one plant I had over twenty cucumbers last year.

A bouquet of Rosa 'Dancing Queen' from the front wall of our house completed the 'harvest' for today.

Pastoral Care

I would like to ask for your ideas, suggestions, descriptions of what you think makes a good Pastoral Care team within a Church.

Some changes are being made in our church, and it would be most interesting to learn from your experiences as to what works...and what doesn't.
You may be from a tiny village church or from a big city. It doesn't matter. 

Do you have a pastoral care team?

Where is their focus?

Is it with housebound, sick and lonely, or maybe with young mothers, youth?
Do they take meals to the lonely?
Do they sit and chat, arrange some shopping, pick up for a service, take a baby for a walk while mother sleeps?
Do they visit in hospital or afterwards?

Will they pray for and with people?

I would love to hear your experiences, and 
I hope you don't mind my asking this wide Community.

A peony!

Two years ago I planted a Peony.

For the next two Summers it produced leaves only and my heart sank. Maybe I had planted it too deep?

But this year, triumph!

One beautiful flower.

Not a good photo, taken into the sun too early.

But the garden progresses. Wildly.

Gorgeous rose.

I just had to run in and show you my exquisite rose.

This is called Pullman Orient Express.

We found her in a rose nursery in France, and as far as I know, she is unobtainable in England. Apparently she was bred in USA and then sold in France by the Meilland company.

She has the faintest of perfumes, but it is the colour arrangement that takes my breath away.

Each petal looks as though it has been painted on.

God's creation is amazing.

The spiral shape of the petals is so unusual.

I'm always so thrilled when she flowers.

And the next flower, although of the same colours, will be a different arrangement, sometimes more pink, sometimes less.

Each flower will be about 6 inches across.

Isn't she lovely?

A break.

Taking a short break from the blog,

but I'll be reading your posts now and then.

Just a few lines.

What an odd expression this is, really.

It's a typical English saying, meaning you aren't feeling so good.

I've been battling a wretched bug thing for a couple of weeks, on two lots of antibiotics.

Getting there slowly.

The garden, as always , has been a comfort. Roses are opening their pretty petals, Stocks are scenting the air, Delphiniums have battled their way past the slug population and are putting out flowery spikes.

And, proudly, my one and only Peony has its first one and only bud!

This is the first of the Alnwick roses, and has a delicate scent. I love that tutu-y look, frothy lingerie maybe!

Dancing Queen has started her rampage up the front wall, and is nicely covering my bedroom window. Which is fine except when the wind blows and there is a rather ghostly tapping on the glass.

Resting a lot, not writing much at the moment.

But I do come and read your posts.